The majority of people desire to know the one most effective way to arrange their days for optimal productivity, and there are several articles and books claiming to have the “perfect schedule.” However, there is no one-size-fits-all solution for everyone. Because we all have different strengths and limitations when it comes to time management and productivity, what works for one person may not work for another. Many people suffer from “Mondays” and other times when distractions take precedence over work. Here are 10 Hacks To Manage Your Schedule to increase your productivity throughout the day.
Table of Contents
1. Audit Your Time well
When it comes to time management, the first step is to figure out where your time is truly spent. You may believe that sending emails takes only 30 minutes, but in actuality, it takes up an hour of your day.
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Downloading an app like RescueTime, Toggl, or my app Calendar to log everything you do for a week is the easiest method to keep track of your time. You can then look at a report to see what’s taking up your time. You can then make the necessary adjustments based on this information.
2. Optimise Your time with meetings
Personally, I prefer 30-minute meetings and 10-minute phone calls. I believe that 10-minute calls are an excellent approach to establish a connection with someone or to provide rapid advice. If you’d rather see the person than just hear them, you can use Google Hangouts or Skype. People avoid the BS and get right to the point on 10-minute calls, which is why they work. Give it a shot. If you concentrate, ten minutes is a long time.
Introductory coffee meetings, lunches, and dinners do not appeal to me. Coffee and dinners with folks I already know are two of my favourite things. Those meetings are usually fruitful and enjoyable, but the first time you meet someone, a phone call or a formal 30-minute meeting in the office is more productive.
3. Make A “To do” list with utmost sincerity
“All objectives and projects are made up of smaller components that must be completed in order to reach the goal or finish the project. Create to-do lists for each objective and project, detailing all the measurable actions that must be completed,” William Lipovsky advises.
“This not only keeps you focused, but it also encourages you because you can see what you’ve already accomplished and what you still have to do.”
At the same time, interruptions may prohibit you from finishing a task. “Always return to and do these activities once you are able to,” William advises. This may need setting a limit on how many jobs you may work on at any given moment.”
4. Exercise And Family Time is also important
It won’t get done unless you put it on the calendar. That goes for both your workout and your time with your family. Put exercise time on the calendar, whether it’s in the morning, midday, or evening, three times a week or every day. Nicole Glaros, a friend and mentor, makes it plain that she owns her mornings until 10 a.m. Depending on the weather, she walks or goes to the gym, and she rarely deviates from her regimen.
The same is true when it comes to scheduling time with family and significant others. If you’re a workaholic like me, you’ll end yourself taking time from your family unless you schedule it ahead of time and teach yourself to unplug quickly. Many people in the sector have discussed the importance of scheduling family time. Brad Feld, who talks about it a lot, is my favourite.
5. Challenging Tasks Come First!
As Mark Twain famously put it, “It’s preferable to eat a frog first thing in the morning if it’s your job. It’s also advisable to eat the largest frog first if you have to consume two frogs.”
Gross? Sure. However, Twain’s argument was that you should tackle your most difficult and time-consuming duties first thing in the morning, namely your most essential tasks (MITs).
There are a few reasons why this is such a successful time management technique. To begin with, you normally have the most energy in the morning. As a result, it’s best to undertake these duties while you’re not completely exhausted. You can also use that sense of achievement to help you get through the rest of the day.
6. Avoid Switching The Task
Multitasking may appear to be a good idea. After all, you’re accomplishing more tasks at the same time, right? Wrong. In reality, despite the fact that you’re doing more at once, you’re not actually doing more. You’re completing fewer tasks.
In fact, multitasking might cost you up to 40% of your productivity. It takes your brain time to switch from one task to the next. When switching tasks, people are also more prone to making mistakes. The larger the losses, the more difficult the endeavor.
As a result, doing only one activity at a time seems to make sense. This helps you to concentrate completely on what you’re doing. Then you’ll be able to complete it more quickly.
If at all possible, avoid task switching while planning your day. Allow enough time to accomplish things in one sitting. Oh, and when are you going to do it? Do not look at your email.
7. Try The “80-20 Rule”
“According to the Pareto Principle, often known as the 80-20 rule, 80% of results come from 20% of the effort put in. In a prior Calendar post, Renzo Costarella notes, “This is often utilized in sales because 80 percent of purchases typically come from 20 percent of clients.”
“This approach may be applied to how you should organise your time as well. “Only 20% of your actions account for 80% of your results.”
Start by checking your schedule or to-do list every day, according to Renzo. Try to write down five chores you need to complete for the purpose of simplicity. You can probably delete the majority of the items on your list if you apply the approach. It may feel strange at first, but it will train you to put in more effort on the most critical things.”
8. Track Down Where You waste time
If you’re having trouble being productive, it’s tempting to switch things up or try new things before you figure out what’s wrong. (I’ve tried this before and it never results in a long-term solution.)
Identifying your habitual time-sucks is the first step toward becoming more productive. Begin by keeping track of what you do every morning to prepare for work. You might realise that you’re wasting time on things like clothing selection, which you could do the night before.
Then keep going: keep track of how you spend your time throughout the day and search for trends.
Start making concrete modifications around those habits once you’ve identified what takes up your time or causes you to postpone.
9. “Do Less”
This is a Leo Babauta strategy. He founded the blog Zen Habits, which is really worth reading. So, what is Leo’s opinion on doing less?
“Less is more” does not imply “doing less.” “Less is better,” it means. This is accomplished by slowing down, recognising what has to be done, and focusing solely on those tasks. Once you’ve done that, make each and every action count. As a result, instead of being just fodder, you’ll be providing more value.
10. Self Direction Is The Key
Employees can be in charge of determining their own preferences. Because all other living forms are more productive on their own terms, employers are encouraged to adjust work schedules in the best interests of all parties concerned.
People must become more aware of themselves, their rhythms, and natural tendencies in order to determine when, when, and how to construct an approach that will yield the best results.
There is a solution to an unproductive scenario, whether it is changing a work schedule, sleeping pattern, or changing jobs entirely.
It shouldn’t be difficult for an employee to persuade an employer of their requirements if they can pinpoint what makes their clock tick for peak performance.
There are a plethora of strategies and resources for creating creative productive schedules that work both at work and at home. If you don’t give them a shot, you might as well be throwing money away. We can’t think of anything more inefficient than that!
What are some of your favourite productivity hacks and routines?
Also Checkout: Effects of Social media on self esteem.